Refrigerator door liners

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator door liner has a mounting for a removable shelf in which the door liner has a projecting horizontal shelf support, a pair of opposite vertical flanges and a pair of ledges respectively formed on said vertical flanges. A detachable stirrup interfits with said ledges and is adapted to embrace a shelf resting on the horizontal support, the detachable stirrup engaging formations on the door liner when interfitting with the ledges.

United States Patent [191 Lemoine [54] REFRIGERATOR DOOR LINERS [75]lnventor: Marcel Lemolne, Montlignon,

France [73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

22 Filed: Feb. 10, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 114,272

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 26, 1970 Great Britain..9,26l/70 [52] US. Cl ..312/138 A, 211/90, 312/214, 312/351 [51] Int.Cl. ..A47f 3/04 [58] Field of Search.....3l2/l38 A, 214, 351; 190/57;211/90, 94, 98,126, 135,128, 132, 133,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,903,315 9/1959 Schory etal ..3l2/138 A [451 Jan. 9, 1973 2,453,387 11/1948 Rundell ..3 12/138 A3,451,590 6/1969 2,702,639 2/1955 2,746,828 5/1956 3,056,640 10/19623,469,71 1 9/1969 Swaneck et al ..248/243 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLlCATlONS 851,667 10/1960 GreatBritain ..3l2/l38A PrimaryExaminerJames T. McCall Attorney-W. S. Pettigrew and F. M. Ritchie [57]ABSTRACT A refrigerator door liner has a mounting for a removable shelfin which the door liner has a projecting horizontal shelf support, apair of opposite vertical flanges and a pair of ledges respectivelyformed on said vertical flanges. A detachable stirrup interfits withsaid ledges and is adapted to embrace a shelf resting on the horizontalsupport, the detachable stirrup engaging formations on the door linerwhen inter-fitting with the ledges.

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure REFRIGERATOR DOOR LINERS The invention relatesto refrigerator door liners having mountings for removable shelves.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator doorliner with a removable shelf which is embraced by a detachable stirrupwhich engages firmly on the door to retain the shelf in position.

The nature of the invention and the object thereof will be clear tothose skilled in the art from the succeeding detailed description of thepreferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawingthereof which is a front perspective view of a refrigerator door linerwith a lower shelf attached, and with a mounting for an upper shelf.

A refrigerator door liner 2 of moulded plastics material comprises acenter panel 3 formed with a pair of vertical opposite side flanges 4which reinforce the door liner 2 and support, (as conventional), and thehermetic sealing material of the refrigerator cabinet (not shown). Ahorizontal flange 5 is integrally formed on the liner 2 between the sideflanges 4 and is arranged to support a removable wire grid 7 or othershelf which, when the refrigerator door is in a closed position,projects into the refrigerator cabinet. A lower support flange 6,similar in formation to the flange 5, is shown and may be formed on thepanel 3 of the liner, so that two removable shelves may be fitted.Obviously, the liner could be fitted for more than two shelves. Thelower shelf is shown in position; the upper shelf is not shown.

A pair of ledges 8 are formed adjacent each end of the support shelves5, 6, integrally with the respective vertical flanges 4; each pair ofledges forms a horizontal groove 9 which is open at the end intended toface the interior of the refrigerator cabinet. A suitable formation suchas a retainer socket 10 which may be a simple aperture formed in theback of the vertical flange 4 within the groove 9 is adapted to secure astirrup 11 formed of metal or plastics material which retains the shelf7, as described below. In the drawing, the parts 8, 9, 10, are visibleonly on the left hand flange 4. It is to be understood that similarparts are also provided on the right hand flange 4.

The stirrup is substantially U-shaped in plan and has side arms 12 toembrace the side walls of the shelf 7 to retain it securely on thehorizontal support flange 5 or 6. The side arms 12 of the stirrup 11 areresilient and each has an outer projecting peg 13, the pegs beinginserted in the apertures 10 forming the retainer socket. Each said arm12 of the stirrup 11 is of such a width as to fit into the groove 9between the sides of the ledges 8, 9, 10 so as to effect a firm supportat each side of the stirrup.

Thus by inserting the side arms of the stirrup into the grooves 9, andpushing them along the groove the pegs 13 are urged into thecomplementary apertures of the sockets 10; the stirrup 11, together withthe grid 7 which it retains, is then firmly held in position on the doorliner.

The mounting described firmly supports the removable tray and preventsany accidental tilting thereof.

The detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention isfor the purpose of explaining the principles thereof and is notconsidered to be limiting or restricting the invention, since manymodifications may be made by the exercise of skill in the art.

I claim:

l. The combination of a refrigerator door liner with a removable shelf,said combination comprising: opposite vertical side flanges on theliner, each flange having a pair of ledges with sides forming asubstantially horizontal groove having a groove dimension in thehorizontal direction greater than its dimension in the verticaldirection, said groove being open at one end thereof and having aretainer socket at the other end thereof, a horizontal flange on saidliner between said vertical flanges and below the horizontal grooves, aremovable shelf in a support position on said liner having an inner endresting on said horizontal flange and an outer end, and a detachablestirrup having in said support position a resilient side arm at eachside thereof sufficiently wide to fit snugly between the sides of itsrespective pair of ledges to effect a firm support at each side arm ofthe stirrup, each side arm being provided with a peg initiallyreceivable into its respective groove through the open end thereof andslidably movable along the groove to said support position wherein thepeg in response to the resilience of its respective side arm projectsdetachably into the retainer socket of the groove thereby providinginterfitting formations which hold the stirrup side arms againstwithdrawal from the grooves, the stirrup embracing said removable shelfat the outer end thereof for supporting said shelf in said supportposition when the inner end thereof is resting on said horizontalflange, the stirrup embracing said removable shelf at the sides thereofin said support position and limiting the movement of each side arm in adirection tending to detach said peg from said retainer socket, therebyto retain said shelf securely on said horizontal flange.

1. The combination of a refrigerator door liner with a removable shelf,said combination comprising: opposite vertical side flanges on theliner, each flange having a pair of ledges with sides forming asubstantially horizontal groove having a groove dimension in thehorizontal direction greater than its dimension in the verticaldirection, said groove being open at one end thereof and having aretainer socket at the other end thereof, a horizontal flange on saidliner between said vertical flanges and below the horizontal grooves, aremovable shelf in a support position on said liner having an inner endresting on said horizontal flange and an outer end, and a detachablestirrup having in said support position a resilient side arm at eachside thereof sufficiently wide to fit snugly between the sides of itsrespective pair of ledges to effect a firm support at each side arm ofthe stirrup, each side arm being provided with a peg initiallyreceivable into its respective groove through the open end thereof andslidably movable along the groove to said support position wherein thepeg in response to the resilience of its respective side arm projectsdetachably into the retainer socket of the groove thereby providinginterfitting formations which hold the stirrup side arms againstwithdrawal from the grooves, the stirrup embracing said removable shelfat the outer end thereof for supporting said shelf in said supportposition when the inner end thereof is resting on said horizontalflange, the stirrup embracing said removable shelf at the sides thereofin said support position and limiting the movement of each side arm in adirection tending to detach said peg from said retainer socket, therebyto retain said shelf securely on said horizontal flange.